Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Xu Bei quickly passed the pots and pans and arrived at the area selling tables, chairs and benches.

There were several square tables and tables placed to the side, with a dozen or so square stools with a thin layer of varnish on their surfaces stacked on the ground.

He squatted down, felt for any burrs, and then tapped one of the stools, hearing a dull, solid thud.

Then I noticed that my hands were covered in a layer of dust.

At the same time, I understand that this is normal.

Because the local timber resources are extremely abundant, even if you don't know carpentry, you can still make some stools when you hire a carpenter to make furniture. As a result, fewer people come to buy finished products, which leads to them being ignored and gathering dust.

Xu Bei turned to the saleswoman who was knitting behind the counter and asked, "Comrade, how much is this stool?"

The saleswoman glanced at him, but didn't stand up. Instead, she tugged at the yarn before answering, "One dollar and twenty cents each."

Xu Bei was not at all surprised by the service attitude of this era.

Otherwise, some state-run restaurants wouldn't post signs prohibiting hitting or scolding customers on their walls.

He then inquired about the prices of the eight-immortal table and the sidewalk, both of which were around ten yuan, and he immediately understood the cost.

Xu Bei didn't linger for long, but went to the South Building across the street.

This time, as soon as I entered, a scent mixed with tobacco, alcohol, candy, sesame cakes, and face cream wafted towards me, which smelled much better.

Xu Bei still took a stroll around to check out the current prices.

Then, I felt the only two yuan and thirty-six cents in my pocket and spent fifty cents to buy a pound of roasted nuts that my mother liked to eat, which were golden in color and densely covered with white sesame seeds.

The salesperson quickly scooped up some baked goods, weighed them, wrapped them in rough grease paper, tied them with red string, and bound them in a crisscross pattern.

When Xu Bei strolled back home, he not only had a pound of roasted fruit in his coat pocket, but also a wooden stool produced by the game system.

Zhao Fengying had finished making all the pancakes. In addition to the five jin of cornmeal she had processed for others, she had also made some for her own family.

The freshly made pancakes were delicious; Xu Bei hadn't had them for many years.

Before he could put his things down, his mother fed him.

"It tastes best when it's hot; it's not as good when it cools down."

Zhao Fengying wiped her hands. "Son, where can you put a stool? We don't need any more of these things."

Xu Bei swallowed the large pancake in his mouth before pretending to be serious and saying, "This stool is special. Someone wants me to help sell it, and I'll give them a 10-cent commission for each one."

Zhao Fengying's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? A commission of one cent? How much would that be if we sold it to someone else?"

Xu Bei continued with a confident smile, "Of course it's true, otherwise would I have been so happy when I came back? This stool is very well made, and it only costs one yuan."

Zhao Fengying was no ordinary housewife who stayed at the stove. In the summer, she went from street to street selling popsicles, and in other seasons she would also sell some things or make pancakes to supplement her family's income.

Otherwise, relying solely on Xu Dashan's wages to support his family, and with his filial piety requiring him to constantly send money back to his hometown, their family wouldn't be living such a comfortable life.

She picked it up and examined it closely. "My goodness, the craftsmanship is amazing! The sheen makes it look high-end! I think even the carpenter Liu who made the wardrobe for your sister's wedding was quite good, but he probably couldn't have done this well."

Xu Bei said with a smile, "Of course. The workmanship and quality are both good. It's just that the craftsmen don't like to show their faces in public, so they came to me. It's even two cents cheaper than the Peking University department store."

Zhao Fengying was immediately intrigued. "It is indeed a good thing, but will it sell well? Our family doesn't lack wood, and most families don't lack stools either."

Xu Bei knew his mother had taken the bait. "How will you know if it sells well or not if you don't try? We don't provide labor or materials, so even if we don't sell them, we won't lose a penny. If we do sell them, we can even make a profit. Besides, not having a shortage doesn't mean everything is good. Maybe some people will want to replace them."

Zhao Fengying nodded in agreement, "My son is right, that makes sense. I only earn four cents a day selling pancakes, but if I sell four, I earn four cents. That's too easy money."

Xu Bei then suggested, "Mom, you could ask around among the neighbors to see if anyone wants to buy a stool."

Zhao Fengying also has a very energetic and outgoing personality.

Since it was still early before making dinner and there was already food ready, I quickly took off my apron, put it on, and went out with the wooden stool, without even having time to eat the freshly bought baked fruit.

Xu Bei watched his mother's brisk walk and couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.

He had already decided that even if no neighbors wanted to buy stools, he would still make up customers.

As a result, in less than half an hour, Zhao Fengying returned with a wooden stool on her face.

As soon as she opened the door, she asked Xu Bei, who was standing by the stove, "Son, guess how many I ordered?"

Xu Bei stopped adding firewood to the buzzing stove, straightened up, and asked with a smile, "How much?"

Zhao Fengying excitedly gestured, "Ten! Four for Grandma Li in the backyard, four for Aunt Chen in the east wing, and two for Aunt Wang who lives in the same row as us! If we manage to get this together, it'll be as good as making over ten pounds of pancakes!"

"Mom, you're amazing! You're a natural salesperson." Xu Bei offered plenty of emotional support while also understanding his mother's impatient nature. "Then let's get to work sooner rather than later. I'll go get the sled and find that person to carry the stool right now."

It was already four o'clock, and it was getting dark. Zhao Fengying had originally intended to talk about it tomorrow, but she was afraid that things might change if she waited too long.

"Okay, do you want me to come with you?"

Xu Bei couldn't let his mother discover his little secret. "No need. My dad will be home from get off work soon. It won't do if we're not home. He's already angry..."

Zhao Fengying could only advise, "Then son, you must be careful when you walk."

Xu Bei waved goodbye to his mother, pulled the sled, and went out the door.

After estimating that it was about time, he pretended to drag ten wooden stools home.

While Xu Dashan was still at get off work, the mother and son simply delivered the goods to his door.

Since the demolition of these old neighbors' homes, the chances of meeting them have become much fewer, and some have even passed away. Therefore, Xu Bei felt particularly warm and kinship when he saw them, and they exchanged a few more pleasantries.

Zhao Fengying only briefly handled the money when she received it, then happily kept 80 cents and gave the rest to Xu Bei.

However, what she didn't know was that her son not only received two cents as a reward for his hard work, but also made a net profit of nine yuan.

With his first pot of gold earned after his rebirth in his pocket, Xu Bei experienced the joy of making money without any initial investment, and he felt quite pleased with himself.

Then, before the mother and son even reached their doorstep, they saw the lights in their house come on.

"Oh, your dad's back."

Xu Bei also looked in the direction of home.

In the darkness, the window of the east room shone with a dim, twilight light, and the light bulbs were clearly low wattage.

"yes."

"He's still angry, and seeing that we're not home, he might say something unpleasant..." Zhao Fengying worriedly advised, "Son, listen to your mother, don't argue with him."

"I know," Xu Bei readily agreed, but whether he could actually do it was another matter.

As a result, when they pulled the sled into the yard, they found a bicycle inside.

"Your sister and the others are back too."

As soon as Zhao Fengying finished speaking, the door was pushed open from the inside.

The woman who came out was over 1.6 meters tall, with two braids, permed bangs, and a rather dignified face.

"Mom, brother, where have you been? I haven't been back to my parents' house for several days, so I came back to check on them. Then I ran into my dad on the way, and he had just come in."